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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Arthur

Today's name: Arthur
Is Arthur too popular for you? Try Arturo, the classy Italian and Spanish form of the name. Do you have Finnish roots? Try the Finnish forms, Arto and Arrturi. For Scottish flair try Artair.

A 19th c. painting by Frank Dicksee

Pronunciation: AR-ther, AR-thur

Potential nicknames: Art, Artie, Bear

Origin: Celtic, meaning "bear," "bear-like," or "bear king," from the Celtic word for bear, artos, and the Latin name Artorius. In Welsh it could mean "bear man." Arthur was first found in the Latin form Artorius, of unknown meaning. A similar and possibly connected name, Arnthor, is Old German meaning "Thor, the eagle." The Irish Gaelic meaning suggests "stone." (Sword in the stone, anyone?)

Popularity: This name was definitely used in the Middle Ages, although it dates back to pre-Roman times in Britan. It slowed in popularity, then had a resurgence in the 19th century.One reason for this is because the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, defeated Napoleon. Another reason for Arthur gaining popularity was a surge in interest in the medieval stories, as it became popular to create new literature and art around ancient tales. For example, Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote Idylls of the King in the 19th century. Arthur was a top 20 name from about 1880 to 1926. In 2010 there were 721 baby boys named Arthur, ranking at #389, with not very much change in the past decade. There were also 28 baby boys named Artur, and 652 Arturo. In 2011 it ranked at #338 with 888 births.

Fun fact: (1) King Arthur of legendary Arthurian fame, leader of the Knights of the Round Table, leader of the Britons, married to Guinevere, mentor was Merlin, weird situations with Morgan fe Fay, surname Pendragon. (2) There was a recent TV show called "Camelot," and a less-recent movie with Keira Knightley called "King Arthur." (3) A famous namesake is Arthur Miller, a playwright. (4) Arthur Dent from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." (5) Arthur (the Aardvark) is the name of an animated PBS children's TV show that was more popular about a decade ago. (6) Surname of 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur. (7) Actress Bea Arthur. (8) Arthur, Prince of Wales. (9) Arthur Weasley, a Harry Potter character. (10) Arthur Curry, better known as DC Comic's Aquaman. (11) Arthur Radley, from "To Kill a Mockingbird." (12) Arthur C. Clark, a British author. I find it impossible to say "Arthur is an author," repeatedly. (13) Athur Balfour, a previous British Prime Minister. (14) Arthur Conan Doyle. (15) Queen Victoria's 7th child was named Prince Arthur. (16) Arthur Garfunkel of Simon & Garfunkel.

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If you'd like help finding a particular name or meaning, want to suggest a name of the day, or need my advice on anything name related, please email me at rarebabynames@yahoo.com!

I combine information provided by the Social Security Administration, Think Baby Names, Parents Connect, historical references, and my own personal knowledge, to ensure that you will get all the information you need about each baby name I post.

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